Valve with integrated pressure regulator

ABSTRACT

A regulating valve device for a fluid cylinder includes a shut off valve having a ball tappet that actuates the shut off valve. A lever has a cam surface that interacts with the ball tappet as the lever is rotated to translate the ball tappet linearly and actuate the shut off valve. The lever is rotatable from a first valve closed position through a valve open position to a second valve closed position such that the valve open position is intermediate of the first and second valve closed positions. A pressure or flow regulating valve is downstream of the shut off valve. A handwheel is operatively connected to the pressure or flow regulating valve to adjust an outlet pressure of the pressure or flow regulating valve. The handwheel has an axis of operation that is offset from a longitudinal axis of the fluid cylinder by an acute angle.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 63/229,087 filed on Aug. 4, 2021, the disclosure ofwhich is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to valves for controlling the pressure orflow of pressurized fluid (e.g., gas and/or liquid) from a tank orcylinder. In particular, the present invention relates to a VIPR (valvewith integrated pressure regulator).

Description of Related Art

A VIPR, or valve with integrated pressure regulator, can be used tocontrol the flow rate or pressure of a fluid such as a gas dischargedfrom a storage cylinder. A typical VIPR has an ON/OFF device to startand stop the flow of gas from the cylinder, a pressure gauge or contentindicator that informs a user of the current pressure in the cylinder, aknob for setting the discharge flow rate/pressure from the cylinder, andfilling and discharge ports. Gas cylinders come in various sizes, suchas from approximately 12 inches high to over 60 inches high.Conventional VIPRs may be more ergonomically suitable for certain sizesof cylinders as compared to other sizes. For example, some VIPRs mightbe more easily operated on smaller cylinders than larger cylinders dueto the location of the ON/OFF device or the flow control knob on theVIPR. It would be desirable to provide a VIPR that is ergonomicallysuitable for a range of cylinder sizes, such as from approximately 12inches high to over 60 inches high.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following summary presents a simplified summary in order to providea basic understanding of some aspects of the devices, systems and/ormethods discussed herein. This summary is not an extensive overview ofthe devices, systems and/or methods discussed herein. It is not intendedto identify critical elements or to delineate the scope of such devices,systems and/or methods. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts ina simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that ispresented later.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, provided is aregulating valve device for a fluid cylinder. The regulating valvedevice includes a shut off valve having a ball tappet that actuates theshut off valve. A lever has a cam surface that interacts with the balltappet as the lever is rotated to translate the ball tappet linearly andactuate the shut off valve. The lever is rotatable from a first valveclosed position through a valve open position to a second valve closedposition such that the valve open position of the lever is intermediateof the first valve closed position and the second valve closed position.A pressure or flow regulating valve is downstream of the shut off valve.A handwheel is operatively connected to the pressure or flow regulatingvalve to adjust a setting, such as an outlet pressure, of the pressureor flow regulating valve. The handwheel has an axis of operation that isoffset from a longitudinal axis of the fluid cylinder by an acute angle.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, provided isa regulating valve device for a fluid cylinder. The regulating valvedevice includes a main body and a shut off valve having a ball tappetlocated within the main body that actuates the shut off valve. Aresidual pressure valve is located within the main body and isconfigured to supply fluid from the fluid cylinder to the shut offvalve. A lever extends from the main body and has a cam surface thatinteracts with the ball tappet as the lever is rotated to translate theball tappet linearly within the main body. The lever is rotatable from afirst valve closed position through a valve open position to a secondvalve closed position such that the valve open position of the lever isintermediate of the first valve closed position and the second valveclosed position. A pressure or flow regulating valve is downstream ofthe shut off valve and is located higher along the main body than eachof the shut off valve, the ball tappet, and the residual pressure valve.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, provided isa regulating valve device for a fluid cylinder. The regulating valvedevice includes a main body and a shut off valve having a ball tappetlocated within the main body that actuates the shut off valve. Aresidual pressure valve is located within the main body and coaxial withthe shut off valve. A lever extends from the main body and has a camsurface that interacts with the ball tappet as the lever is rotated totranslate the ball tappet linearly within the main body. The lever isdownwardly rotatable from a first valve closed position through a valveopen position to a second valve closed position such that the valve openposition of the lever is intermediate of the first valve closed positionand the second valve closed position. A pressure or flow regulatingvalve is downstream of the shut off valve and is located higher alongthe main body than each of the shut off valve, the ball tappet, and theresidual pressure valve. A handwheel is operatively connected to thepressure or flow regulating valve to adjust a setting, such as an outletpressure, of the pressure or flow regulating valve. The handwheel has anaxis of operation that is offset from a longitudinal axis of the fluidcylinder by an acute angle. The shut off valve and the residual pressurevalve are oriented transverse to the longitudinal axis of the fluidcylinder.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other aspects of the invention will become apparent tothose skilled in the art to which the invention relates upon reading thefollowing description with reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 shows a VIPR;

FIG. 2 shows the VIPR along with an angle of a handwheel of the VIPR;

FIG. 3 shows example gas cylinder sizes;

FIG. 4 shows the VIPR mounted to a gas cylinder;

FIG. 5 shows the VIPR mounted to a gas cylinder;

FIG. 6 shows the VIPR mounted to a gas cylinder;

FIG. 7 shows the VIPR mounted to a gas cylinder;

FIG. 8 shows the VIPR mounted to a gas cylinder;

FIG. 9 shows the VIPR mounted to a gas cylinder;

FIG. 10 shows the VIPR mounted to a gas cylinder;

FIG. 11 shows the VIPR mounted to a gas cylinder;

FIG. 12 illustrates an operation of an ON/OFF lever of the VIPR;

FIG. 13 illustrates an operation of an ON/OFF lever of the VIPR;

FIG. 14 illustrates an operation of an ON/OFF lever of the VIPR;

FIG. 15 is a front view of the VIPR;

FIG. 16 is a side view of the VIPR;

FIG. 17 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the VIPR;

FIG. 18 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the VIPR;

FIG. 19 shows a cross-sectional view of the VIPR;

FIG. 20 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the VIPR;

FIG. 21 shows a cross-sectional view of the VIPR.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates valves for controlling the pressure orflow of pressurized fluid from a tank or cylinder, and in particular toVIPRs. The present invention will now be described with reference to thedrawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to likeelements throughout. It is to be appreciated that the various drawingsare not necessarily drawn to scale from one figure to another nor insidea given figure, and in particular that the size of the components arearbitrarily drawn for facilitating the understanding of the drawings. Inthe following description, for purposes of explanation, numerousspecific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of the present invention. It may be evident, however, thatthe present invention can be practiced without these specific details.Additionally, other embodiments of the invention are possible and theinvention is capable of being practiced and carried out in ways otherthan as described. The terminology and phraseology used in describingthe invention is employed for the purpose of promoting an understandingof the invention and should not be taken as limiting.

As used herein, “at least one”, “one or more”, and “and/or” areopen-ended expressions that are both conjunctive and disjunctive inoperation. For example, each of the expressions “at least one of A, Band C”, “at least one of A, B, or C”, “one or more of A, B, and C”, “oneor more of A, B, or C” and “A, B, and/or C” means A alone, B alone, Calone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A, B andC together. Any disjunctive word or phrase presenting two or morealternative terms, whether in the description of embodiments, claims, ordrawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities ofincluding one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. Forexample, the phrase “A or B” should be understood to include thepossibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.”

The terms “cylinder” and “tank” are used interchangeably herein and bothrefer to a storage vessel for a fluid, such as a liquid and/or gas.Storage cylinders/tanks can have a generally cylindrical shape as isknown in the art, or other non-cylindrical shapes. The terms “cylinder”and “tank” also include smaller fluid storage vessels commonly referredto as “bottles” (e.g., gas bottles).

FIG. 1 shows an example VIPR 10 mounted atop a gas tank or cylinder 12.The VIPR 10 includes a shut off or isolation valve that is operated by alever 14. The shut off valve is located within the main body 16 of theVIPR and selectively allows or prevents pressurized gas from flowing outof the cylinder and through the VIPR 10, depending on the position ofthe lever 14. The lever 14 is attached to the VIPR body 16 by a leverhinge pin 18 located at a lower portion of the VIPR body near the gascylinder 12. In an example embodiment, the shut off valve is locatedadjacent the lever 14 and hinge pin 18, also at a lower portion of theVIPR body 16 near the gas cylinder 12. Placing the shut off valve at alower portion of the VIPR body 16 puts the high pressure portion of theVIPR 10 low on the VIPR and near the gas cylinder 12. This serves toprotect the high pressure portion of the VIPR 10 from external hits andshocks and improves the toughness of the VIPR. At least one of apressure reducing/regulating valve or flow control valve (e.g., apressure or flow regulating valve) is also located within the VIPR body16, downstream of the shut off valve. A knob or handwheel 24 isoperatively connected to the pressure or flow regulating valve tomanually adjust a pressure or flow setting of the regulating valve. Thatis, the setting of the pressure or flow regulating valve is manuallycontrolled via handwheel 24. It can be seen that the handwheel 24 has anaxis of operation that is offset from a longitudinal axis of the gascylinder 12 (e.g., tilted downward from the vertical axis of the gascylinder by an acute angle). In further embodiments, the VIPR 10 canhave a pre-set outlet pressure regulation (e.g., a fixed outletpressure) rather than having a handwheel to adjust the pressure/flow.

The lever 14 is shown in a generally vertical, upward shut off or valveclosed position. The on or valve open position of the lever 14, whichopens the shut off valve, is rotationally downward to a generallyhorizontal lever position. The lever 14 has a further shut off or valveclosed position, which is rotationally downward from the horizontal openposition. Thus, the lever 14 has two shut off positions, vertically upand down, and a single horizontal open position. The lever 14 isrotatable from a first valve closed position, which is shown in FIG. 1 ,through a valve open position to a second valve closed position suchthat the valve open position of the lever is intermediate of the firstvalve closed position and the second valve closed position. In theexample embodiment shown in the figures, the lever 14 is downwardlyrotatable from the first valve closed position through the valve openposition and to the second valve closed position, around a generallyhorizontally oriented lever hinge pin 18. However, in furtherembodiments, the lever could be operated by rotation in otherdirections, such as by rotation other than within the vertical plane.The upward shut off position shown in FIG. 1 is intended to be astandard closing position for the lever 14, whereas the downward shutoff position is intended for an emergency shut off of the VIPR 10.Having a downward shut off position allows the lever 14 to be slappeddownward by an operator from the generally horizontal open position tothe downward shut off position to quickly stop the flow of gas from thecylinder 12. Conventional VIPRs are opened by raising the lever andclosed by moving the lever downward, and in an emergency situation anoperator may instinctively try to close the valve by moving the leverdownward. The VIPR 10 accommodates a conventional downward shut off. TheON/OFF status of the VIPR 10 will be clearly visible to an operatorbased on the position of the lever 14, and the lever 14 allows the shutoff valve within the VIPR 10 to be opened and closed quickly by theoperator. Further, when the lever 14 is in a horizontal valve openposition, it could appear similar to a hook and a person may mistakenlyattempt to hang something from the lever. Or an object could fall ontothe lever 14 from above. Either scenario will usually result in thelever 14 dropping to the second valve closed position rather thandamaging the lever or VIPR or tipping over the gas cylinder 12. Theintermediate valve open position of the lever 14 and its lower secondvalve closed position are shown in FIG. 14 .

The VIPR 10 includes a pressure gauge or content indicator 20 mounted toa front surface of the VIPR. The content indicator 20 informs theoperator of the remaining gas pressure in the cylinder 12. The VIPR 10further includes a discharge port for attaching a hose or conduit orother devices to a downstream process. In certain embodiments, thedischarge port can have a quick connect fitting 22, although other typesof fittings (e.g., threaded) can be used if desired. The fitting 22could have a standard or proprietary shape and/or could integratevarious functions (e.g. a no-return valve, check valve, demanding valve,calibrated hole, etc.) The pressure or flow rate of the fluid dischargedfrom the cylinder 12 through the discharge port is controlled by theregulating valve in the VIPR 10 according to the handwheel 24 setting.

The handwheel 24 can include setting levels and/or graduations printedon the handwheel, and the VIRP can include an indicator or pointerdirected to the graduations, to inform the operator of the currentsetting. In an example embodiment, the handwheel 24 provides for singleturn regulation from minimum to maximum outlet flow or pressure. Infurther embodiments, the handwheel 24 can provide a multi-turnoperation. The size of the handwheel 24, (e.g., diameter and height) canallow for ease of handling by the operator when wearing gloves. Thehandwheel 24 and upper portion of the VIPR body 16 are oriented at anacute angle (e.g., tilted or slanted) relative to the generally verticalaxis of the cylinder 12 and the lower portion of the VIPR body. Thissloping design makes operating the handwheel 24 and reading thehandwheel setting easier and more suitable for various sizes of gascylinders as compared to a conventional VIPR. For example, the slopingdesign allows the setting of the handwheel 24 to be read from both thefront of the cylinder 12 and the lateral side of the cylinder and fromthe top of the cylinder (e.g., when used on small cylinders having openguards). FIG. 2 shows an example angle of 22 degrees of tilt or offsetbetween the longitudinal axis 26 of the cylinder 12 and the lowerportion of the VIPR body 16 and the axis 28 of operation of thehandwheel 24 and the upper portion of the VIPR body. That is, the axis28 of the handwheel 24 and the upper portion of the VIPR body 16 istilted downward 22 degrees from vertical or the axis 26 of the cylinder12. The handwheel 24 thus has an axis 28 of operation that isnonparallel and non-perpendicular with the axis 26 of the cylinder. Thehandwheel 24 can be tilted downward from vertical at various acuteangles or ranges of angles, such as 70 degrees or less, 45 degrees orless, or 30 degrees or less, between 20 degrees and 70 degrees, etc. The22 degree tilt angle shown in FIG. 2 is merely exemplary. Portions ofthe pressure or flow regulating valve within the VIPR body 16, such as avalve member, seat, springs, diaphragm components, etc., can be orientedat the same angle or along the same axis 28 as the handwheel 24 (e.g.,in-line with the handwheel).

Turning to FIG. 3 , the VIPR 10 has a compact, ergonomic design that issuitable for various sizes of gas cylinders. FIG. 3 shows an examplerange of gas cylinder heights with which the VIPR 10 can be used, fromapproximately 12 inch (30 cm) cylinders 12 a to approximately 60 inch(150 cm) cylinders 12 b, or even taller cylinders (e.g., 170 cm/67inches or greater). When installed on a cylinder, all of the primaryfunctions of the VIPR are assessable from the front and/or top of thecylinder without having to turn the cylinder.

Conventional VIPRs may be designed for use with one cylinder size, anddifferent VIPR products may be produced for large and small cylinders.If the VIPR is intended for a large or tall cylinder, access to thevalve is on the lateral sides, and all of the functions are alignedhorizontally. If the VIPR is intended for small cylinders, preferredaccess is from top as well as the sides, and the functions are bothaligned horizontally and vertically. The offset handwheel 24 of the VIPR10 discussed herein allows to lower the product height and minimize thelateral encumbrance. Ergonomics takes advantage from this; one canaccess all of the functions both from the lateral sides as well fromtop. Also the regulator scale printed on the handwheel is inclined toallow easy reading from different sides. Advantages provided by the VIPR10 can include a smaller, more compact product with respect totraditional VIPRs having vertical/horizontal alignments; the VIPR canfit on most of the existing protections (guards) on the market (no needfor a custom guard); good compromise for ergonomics, allowing accessfrom the lateral sides on large tall cylinders and also from the top onsmall cylinders; a single product version that can be used with largeand small cylinders; and permits the regulator setting to be read bothfrom the side and top.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show the VIPR 10 mounted to a large gas cylinder 12, suchas a cylinder between approximately 36 inches (90 cm) tall and 60 inches(150 cm) tall or more. The VIPR 10 is surrounded by a protective guard30 that is closed at the top. Access to the VIPR 10 is provided throughopenings in the sides of the guard 30, and the VIPR is ergonomicallydesigned to be operated through the openings when they are locatedaround head level. FIGS. 6 and 7 show the VIPR 10 mounted to a smallergas cylinder 12, such as a cylinder less than 36 inches (90 cm) tall.The VIPR 10 is surrounded by a guard 32 that is open on the top andsides, and the VIPR is accessible though the top and sides of the guard.FIGS. 4-7 show the lever 14 being operated to open the VIPR. Theoperable end of the lever 14 is T-shaped (e.g., has a T-shaped grip),which allows the lever to be operated via a finger pull as shown inFIGS. 4 and 5 (e.g., when the VIPR is located around head level) or viaa thumb push as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 (e.g., when the VIPR 10 islocated around waist level or below). The T-shape of the operable end ofthe lever 14 allows the lever to be short in length and compact. TheT-shaped grip allows the user to apply the necessary effort to move thelever in an easy way, e.g. with 2 fingers, or with a thumb push byhaving enough space/surface to place the thumb. In other words, T-shapeergonomy provides a better grip and allows for the easy application offorce to the lever 14. The shortened length of the lever 14 is generallymore compact as compared to convention VIPRs, requiring less material tomanufacture it, and is less sensitive to external shocks or lesssusceptible to bending/breaking. FIGS. 8 and 9 show the operation of thehandwheel 24 through the openings in the sides of the guard 30 on alarge gas cylinder 12. FIGS. 10 and 11 show the operation of thehandwheel 24 through the opening in the top of the guard 32 on a smallercylinder 12. The T-shape of the lever 14 can be clearly seen in FIG. 11, along with a filling port 34 on the rear side of the VIPR body forfilling the cylinder 12.

FIGS. 12 and 13 show the effect of the lever 14 design with respect tothe cylinder 12 tipping over. The upward movement of the lever 14 toclose the shut off valve in the VIPR 10 can be triggered when thecylinder 12 is tipped over toward the lever. The lever 14 protrudesbeyond the side opening in the guard and the lever can strike a surfacewhen the cylinder 12 is tipped, which pushes the lever upward closingthe shut off valve in the VIPR 10 and lowering the risk of breaking thelever. Conventional VIPRs typically have an operating lever having apivoting point toward the top of the VIPR, and the shut off valve isopened by lifting the lever. This places the high pressure componentswithin the VIPR toward the top of the VIPR body, and they aresusceptible to shocks due to their distance from the top of thecylinder. Conventional VIPRs often have operating levers that aredesigned to break when the cylinder tips over in order to minimize theforces transferred to the cylinder or valve. Rather than breaking orneeding a default weak area to facilitate breaking, the lever 14discussed herein is hinged toward the bottom of the VIPR body (near thetop of the cylinder 12) and can flip up or down should the cylinder tipover. Such a configuration automatically stops the flow of gas from thecylinder upon tipping and better protects the high pressure componentswithin the VIPR from shocks (the lower part of the VIPR near thecylinder is tougher/harder to break). FIG. 14 illustrates theintermediate valve open position of the lever, and the downward movementof the lever 14 to close the shut off valve in the VIPR 10. FIG. 14 alsoillustrates the lever 14 in the downward second valve closed position,for comparison with the upward first valve closed position shown inother figures.

FIG. 15 provides a front view of the VIPR 10 without the cylinder, andFIG. 16 provides a side view of the VIPR without the cylinder. The VIPR10 can include an inlet connection 33 for attaching the VIPR to the gascylinder. The inlet connection 33 may be a threaded connection orinclude other suitable attachment structure. The setting indicator 35(e.g., flow or pressure scale indicator) for the handwheel 24 is shownin both FIGS. 15 and 16 . The setting indicator 35 extends outward fromthe VIPR main body 16 and bends upward past the circumferential edge ofthe handwheel 24. The setting indicator 35 can be oriented to pointalong the same axis as the handwheel axis of operation, or along anotheraxis (e.g., vertical) if desired.

FIG. 17 shows details of a portion of the shut off valve 36 in the VIPR10 and how it is operated by the lever 14. In particular, FIG. 17 showsthe mechanism for actuating the shut off valve 36. The shut off valve 36includes a ball 38 that operates as a tappet or cam follower. The balltappet 38 actuates the shut off valve via a valve stem. The ball tappet38 pushes on the valve stem to open the valve as the ball translateslinearly within the VIPR body. The ball tappet 38 is biased toward thelever 14 by a spring 39. Rotating the lever 14 to the open, generallyhorizontal position pushes the ball tappet 38 inward by a cam surface 41on the lever, which compresses the spring and allows the ball tolaterally move the valve stem to open the valve. The end of the valvestem projects axially within the spring 39 toward the ball tappet 38.The lever 14 includes a slot 40 and cam surface(s) 41 that interact withthe ball tappet 38 as the lever is rotated to translate the ball tappetlinearly and actuate the shut off valve 36. When the lever 14 is in theupward closed position, the slot 40 is aligned with the ball tappet 38and the ball is spring-biased toward the slot by the bias spring 39 toclose the valve. The ball tappet 38 is moved by the cam surface(s) 41 onthe lever 14 just below the slot 40 as the lever is rotated. When thelever 14 is in the downward closed position, the ball tappet 38 ispushed away from the valve 36 and its stem and against the cam surface41 of the lever by the spring 39, thereby closing the valve. The camsurface(s) 41 on the lever 14 include a concave portion or detent 43 forholding the lever in the valve open position against the bias force ofthe ball tappet 38. The ball tappet 38 and bias spring 39 can be locatedwithin a plug member 44 inside of the VIPR main body.

The ball tappet 38 provides a low friction load for the operation of thevalve 36 (e.g., the valve operation works in a pseudo-rolling frictioninstead of pure dynamic friction). The ball tappet 38 has a singlecircumferential point of contact within the cylindrical recess in theVIPR in which it operates, which minimizes the risk of the ball seizingwithin the recess (e.g., seizing in the open position and holding theshut off valve 36 open). Conventional tappets are often cylindricalpistons with a flat surface that contacts the cam on the lever. Such astructure leads to a variable effort needed for opening during rotationof the lever, and can increase the “lateral” loads. The point of contactwill move proportionally with the lever angle, continuously changing thelever ratio from a high effort to a lower effort. Lateral loads willdisplace a cylindrical cam follower, increasing loads on its point ofcontact, thus friction is increased with the risk of seizure.Lubrication of the parts is fundamental to avoid such events. By using aball tappet 38 rather than a cylindrical piston, user effort is moreuniform along the entire rotation of the lever due to betterdistribution of the contact point with the cam surface 41, frictionloads and risk of seizing are reduced, and lubrication is unnecessary.In certain embodiments, the ball 38 has an industry standard size tominimize its cost. Moreover, the use of a ball 38 as a tappet makesassembly of the VIPR easier since the ball requires a minimal amount ofintentional orientation to correctly place the ball in the cylindricalrecess in the VIPR.

FIG. 18 shows the shut off system for the VIPR comprising the lever 14and shut off valve 36 and also the components of a residual pressurevalve (RPV) (also referred to as a residual pressure device RPD) justupstream of the shut off valve. The shut off valve 36 includes a valvestem 46 that is attached to a movable valve member 48 or shutter. Themovable valve member 48 moves within a valve seat 50 to open and closeand allow/stop fluid flow to a downstream pressure or flow regulator.The movable valve member 48 is biased against the seat 50 by a valvespring 52. The ball tappet 38 opens the shut off valve 36 by pushing thevalve stem 46 (and indirectly the movable valve member 48) as the lever14 is rotated.

The RPV includes a bias spring or RPV spring 54 and an O-ring 56 thatacts as a valve member or shutter. The RPV can also include a ring 58 orwasher located between the RPV spring 54 and the O-ring 56. The RPVspring 54 biases the O-ring against the valve seat 50. A cylindricalfilter 60 (e.g., a bronze filter) is located radially between the RPVand the shut off valve 36. In the example embodiment shown, the filter60 surrounds the valve spring 52 and is itself surrounded by the RPV.The RPV is configured to supply fluid from the cylinder to the shut offvalve 36 through the filter 60 while maintaining a positive fluidpressure in the cylinder. The RPV will normally be open to allow fluid(e.g., gas) to flow from the cylinder through the filter 60 and into thevalve seat 50 as long as there is adequate pressure in the cylinder.Fluid flow 61 from the cylinder to the RPV is shown schematically inFIG. 18 . The RPV is located coaxially with the shut off valve 36 andits components, and upstream of the shutoff valve. This integrationreduces the number of components needed to maintain residual pressureand also the complexity of the remaining components, as well as therequired machining on the VIPR body 16, thus reducing the size of theVIPR and its manufacturing costs. The upstream position of the RPVprovides for the correct testing of leakages at the ON/OFF valve duringmanufacturing and at users' facilities (at gas filling operations at afinal user site), eliminating the possibility of having false negatives.Within the VIPR body 16, the shut off valve 36 and the RPV are orientedtransverse or perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 26 of the cylinder12 (FIG. 2 ).

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the VIPR 10. In FIG. 19 , the shutoff system comprising the lever and the shut off valve 36 and adjacentRPV are shown, along with the downstream, axially-offset (e.g., tilted)pressure or flow regulating valve, such as pressure regulator 42. FIG.20 shows the pressure regulator 42 in further detail. It can be seenthat the pressure regulator 42 is a diaphragm-based regulator that iscontrolled by the position of the handwheel 24. The pressure regulator42 includes a regulator spring 62, a sensing element such as a diaphragm64, and a valve assembly 66 operated by the diaphragm. In particular,the operation of the valve assembly 66 is controlled by the regulator'spressure setpoint as established by the spring 62 and diaphragm 64, andthe valve assembly 66 is attached to and movable by the diaphragm 64.The spring 62 is a biasing member that applies a bias force against thediaphragm 64, which tends to open the valve 66 when the regulated outputpressure is less than the pressure setpoint. The pressure setpoint canbe adjusted by turning regulator screw 68 via the handwheel 24, and theregulator screw 68 adjusts the spring load on the diaphragm 64. Thepressure regulator 42 can include a cover or bonnet 70 that contains theregulator spring 62. The regulator screw 68 extends through the bonnet70, and the regulator screw can be a single-turn screw. The operation ofdiaphragm pressure regulators is known and need not be discussed indetail herein. In further embodiments, the pressure regulator 42 couldbe a piston-based regulator.

The pressure or flow regulating valve in the VIPR (e.g., pressureregulator 42) is located higher along the VIPR main body 16 than theshut off valve 36, the RPV, the ball tappet, and the lever hinge pin 18(see FIG. 19 ). Such a configuration places the high pressure componentswithin the VIPR 10 toward the bottom of the body 16 and closer to thegas cylinder, which better protects the high pressure components fromshocks (the lower part of the VIPR near the cylinder is tougher/harderto break).

FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view of the VIPR that shows the fillingport 34 in detail. The filling port 34 can include a valve member orshutter 72 that is biased closed by a spring 74. The filling port 34 canalso include a filter 76, such as a bronze filter for example.

It should be evident that this disclosure is by way of example and thatvarious changes may be made by adding, modifying or eliminating detailswithout departing from the fair scope of the teaching contained in thisdisclosure. The invention is therefore not limited to particular detailsof this disclosure except to the extent that the following claims arenecessarily so limited.

What is claimed is: 1 A regulating valve device for a fluid cylinder,comprising: a shut off valve having a ball tappet that actuates the shutoff valve; a lever having a cam surface that interacts with the balltappet as the lever is rotated to translate the ball tappet linearly andactuate the shut off valve, wherein the lever is rotatable from a firstvalve closed position through a valve open position to a second valveclosed position such that the valve open position of the lever isintermediate of the first valve closed position and the second valveclosed position; a pressure or flow regulating valve downstream of theshut off valve; and a handwheel operatively connected to the pressure orflow regulating valve to adjust a setting of the pressure or flowregulating valve, wherein the handwheel has an axis of operation that isoffset from a longitudinal axis of the fluid cylinder by an acute angle.2. The regulating valve device for a fluid cylinder of claim 1, whereinthe ball tappet is spring-biased toward the lever, and the cam surfaceincludes a detent for holding the lever in the valve open position. 3.The regulating valve device for a fluid cylinder of claim 1, wherein anend of the lever is T-shaped.
 4. The regulating valve device for a fluidcylinder of claim 1, further comprising a residual pressure valveupstream of the shut off valve, wherein the residual pressure valve isconfigured to supply fluid from the fluid cylinder to the shut off valvewhile maintaining a positive pressure in the fluid cylinder.
 5. Theregulating valve device for a fluid cylinder of claim of claim 4,wherein the residual pressure valve is coaxial with the shut off valve.6. The regulating valve device for a fluid cylinder of claim of claim 4,wherein the shut off valve and the residual pressure valve are orientedtransverse to the longitudinal axis of the fluid cylinder.
 7. Theregulating valve device for a fluid cylinder of claim 1, furthercomprising a lever hinge pin, wherein the pressure or flow regulatingvalve is located higher on the regulating valve device than the leverhinge pin and the shut off valve.
 8. The regulating valve device for afluid cylinder of claim 1, wherein the acute angle is 30 degrees orless.
 9. A regulating valve device for a fluid cylinder, comprising: amain body; a shut off valve having a ball tappet located within the mainbody that actuates the shut off valve; a residual pressure valve locatedwithin the main body and that is configured to supply fluid from thefluid cylinder to the shut off valve; a lever extending from the mainbody and having a cam surface that interacts with the ball tappet as thelever is rotated to translate the ball tappet linearly within the mainbody, wherein the lever is rotatable from a first valve closed positionthrough a valve open position to a second valve closed position suchthat the valve open position of the lever is intermediate of the firstvalve closed position and the second valve closed position; and apressure or flow regulating valve downstream of the shut off valve andlocated higher along the main body than each of the shut off valve, theball tappet, and the residual pressure valve.
 10. The regulating valvedevice for a fluid cylinder of claim 9, wherein the ball tappet isspring-biased toward the lever, and the cam surface includes a detentfor holding the lever in the valve open position.
 11. The regulatingvalve device for a fluid cylinder of claim 9, wherein an end of thelever is T-shaped.
 12. The regulating valve device for a fluid cylinderof claim of claim 9, wherein the residual pressure valve is coaxial withthe shut off valve.
 13. The regulating valve device for a fluid cylinderof claim of claim 9, wherein the shut off valve and the residualpressure valve are oriented transverse to a longitudinal axis of thefluid cylinder.
 14. The regulating valve device for a fluid cylinder ofclaim 9, further comprising a lever hinge pin, wherein the pressure orflow regulating valve is located higher along the main body than thelever hinge pin.
 15. The regulating valve device for a fluid cylinder ofclaim 9, further comprising a handwheel operatively connected to thepressure or flow regulating valve to adjust a setting of the pressure orflow regulating valve, wherein the handwheel has an axis of operationthat is offset from a longitudinal axis of the fluid cylinder by anacute angle.
 16. A regulating valve device for a fluid cylinder,comprising: a main body; a shut off valve having a ball tappet locatedwithin the main body that actuates the shut off valve; a residualpressure valve located within the main body and coaxial with the shutoff valve; a lever extending from the main body and having a cam surfacethat interacts with the ball tappet as the lever is rotated to translatethe ball tappet linearly within the main body, wherein the lever isdownwardly rotatable from a first valve closed position through a valveopen position to a second valve closed position such that the valve openposition of the lever is intermediate of the first valve closed positionand the second valve closed position; and a pressure or flow regulatingvalve downstream of the shut off valve and located higher along the mainbody than each of the shut off valve, the ball tappet, and the residualpressure valve; and a handwheel operatively connected to the pressure orflow regulating valve to adjust a setting of the pressure or flowregulating valve, wherein the handwheel has an axis of operation that isoffset from a longitudinal axis of the fluid cylinder by an acute angle,wherein the shut off valve and the residual pressure valve are orientedtransverse to the longitudinal axis of the fluid cylinder.
 17. Theregulating valve device for a fluid cylinder of claim 16, wherein theball tappet is spring-biased toward the lever, and the cam surfaceincludes a detent for holding the lever in the valve open position. 18.The regulating valve device for a fluid cylinder of claim 16, wherein anend of the lever is T-shaped.
 19. The regulating valve device for afluid cylinder of claim 16, further comprising a lever hinge pin,wherein the pressure or flow regulating valve is located higher alongthe main body than the lever hinge pin.
 20. The regulating valve devicefor a fluid cylinder of claim 16, wherein the acute angle is 30 degreesor less.